The religious right is constantly trying to sneak the Bible into secular schools under the guise of “diversity” or “academic freedom.” They are opposed by civil rights organizations at every step because it is a small step from “teaching” to “preaching.”

Yet, in 2007, Texas passed a law that “encouraged” (read as: give license to go nuts) public schools to educate students about the role the Bible has played in society and literature. Shockingly, the guidelines set down by the law to prevent proselytization were completely ignored. The result?

Instructional material in two school districts teach that racial diversity today can be traced back to Noah’s sons, a long-discredited claim that has been a foundational component of some forms of racism.

Religious bias is common, with most courses taught from a Protestant — often a conservative Protestant — perspective. One course, for example, assumes Christians will at some point be “raptured.” Materials include a Venn diagram showing the pros and cons of theories that posit the rapture before the returning Jesus’ 1,000-year reign and those that place it afterward. In many courses, the perspectives of Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians and Jews are often left out.

Anti-Jewish bias — intentional or not — is not uncommon. Some courses even portray Judaism as a flawed and incomplete religion that has been replaced by Christianity.

Many courses suggest or openly claim that the Bible is literally true. “The Bible is the written word of God,” students are told in one PowerPoint presentation. Some courses go so far as to suggest that the Bible can be used to verify events in history. One district, for example, teaches students that the Bible’s historical claims are largely beyond question by listing biblical events side-by-side with historical developments from around the globe.

Course materials in numerous classes are designed to evangelize rather than provide an objective study of the Bible’s influence. A book in one district makes its purpose clear in the preface: “May this study be of value to you. May you fully come to believe that ‘Jesus is the Christ, the son of God.’ And may you have ‘life in His name.’”

A number of courses teach students that the Bible proves Earth is just 6,000 years old.

Students are taught that the United States is a Christian nation founded on the Christian biblical principles taught in their classrooms.

Academic rigor is so poor that many courses rely mostly on memorization of Bible verses and factoids from Bible stories rather than teaching students how to analyze what they are studying. One district relies heavily on Bible cartoons from Hanna-Barbera for its high school class. Students in another district spend two days watching what lesson plans describe as “the historic documentary Ancient Aliens,” which presents “a new interpretation of angelic beings described as extraterrestrials.”

And that’s not even all of the offenses being carried out using tax payer dollars.

In case you’re not familiar with the biblical “basis” for the idea that whites are superior, it comes from the following (via Alternet):

Shem, Ham and Japheth are the sons of Noah (he of the Flood) that repopulated the Earth. Guess which son is held in the highest esteem? You don’t even have to be a biblical scholar to figure that out!

This is what Texas is passing off as “education.”

This is the exact reason that church and state are to remain separate, now more than ever: the religious right in this country simply cannot keep their religion (and racism) to themselves. Every time they secure the ability to shove their distorted version of Christianity down the throats of everyone else, they take it. Once upon a time they pretended they would do no such thing but we’re past such faint protestations now. These days they simply insist that it’s their “God-given constitutional” right to spread their religion (and only their religion) to a captive audience.

Texas has succeeded in institutionalizing ignorance, hate and racism. Just like Baby Jesus would have wanted.

2 Comments

This attempt by fundamentalist should surprise no one familiar with evangelical proselytizer Rick Perry. A Libertarian friend of mine (I’m not one) once told me that in a democracy we get the kind of government we deserve. Well, Texas, sow the breeze, reap the whirlwind. The only hope for critical thinking Texans is to rid themselves of these religious fundamentalist and vote for true religious freedom (and freedom from religion). I say this as a person who has lived in Texas (both my grown children were born there, and proud of it). I love Texas, most Texans, and the history of the state. I hate the bigotry, fanatic nationalism and evangelical oppression that define the state to most other Americans today. Americans also need to remember that as the largest buyer of text books, Texas has an undeserved influence on what text books for the rest of America contain.